Armchair Healthcare

48: We are all going to die

January 24, 2020 07:00 - 56 minutes - 56.5 MB

In which our heroes discuss the impending doom coming from Wuhan. Also wtf FDA re SRPT? 00:40 - We survived JPM! 05:00 - Are we all going to die form Coronavirus? 22:43 - The Goop series on Netflix 26:22 - Amarin has the one oil to rule them all 35:58 - Will the Sarepta madness lead to Biogen getting aducanumab approval? 47:58 - Does mixing cough syrup with wellbutrin make sense?

47: The amyloid hypothesis will outlive all of us.

October 23, 2019 19:08 - 36 minutes - 40.8 MB

In which we welcome our new commentator Wiktoria, and discuss the new BIIB shuck and jive.

46: The interesting Relmada data in depression and some balance sheet disasters

October 17, 2019 17:49 - 50 minutes - 54 MB

Discuss the recent Relmada data, Geovax, Amyris, WeWork and more: 01:15: RLMD data in TRD 13:23 The GOVX disaster 18:52 WeWork is being flushed down the toilet 24:08 Will HR3 passage actually mean fewer drugs will be developed? 29:49 Don't worry about red meat and geese deserve what they get 37:58 Who defends Theranos? 45:10 AMRS finally is up to date on filings and it isn't pretty

45: The hysteria around vaping and does Purdue really deserve to go bankrupt?

October 09, 2019 13:39 - 52 minutes - 55.8 MB

People need some perspective on vaping and these opioid lawsuit liabilities are out of control and will hurt patients. Here is a table of contents: 1:08 The hysteria around vaping 14:44 A new penile traction device for Peyronie's 16:38 Does SmileDirectClub make sense? 23:35 Aveo, really? 27:07 Does Purdue deserve to go bankrupt because of the opioid epidemic 45:08 A fountain of youth cocktail that includes two steroids and metformin 49:10 Alkaline water with some lemon

44: FDA has its hands full with Novartis, Amarin and people drinking bleach

August 15, 2019 19:47 - 42 minutes - 46.3 MB

Novartis gives the FDA a headache, the FDA then gives Amarin a headache and people are trying to cure their problems with bleach. 00:42 Novartis cheated 18:47 There are two FDA's, one for AMRN and another for everyone else 30:00 Don't drink bleach 33:57 Don't have a pedo island

43: Interview with Thomas Meyer, CEO of Auris Medical

August 05, 2019 12:47 - 39 minutes - 43.5 MB

We discuss Auris Medical’s development programs for intranasal betahistine for acute vertigo as well as to treat some of the major side effects of antipsychotic medication. 01:07 Auris’s AM-125 program for acute vertigo 16:57 The Phase II trial design for AM-125 26:47 AM-201 for antipsychotic-induced weight gain and drowsiness 34:38 The design of the Phase Ib trial for AM-201 and what to expect

42: Interview with Stephane Piat, CEO of Carmat

July 29, 2019 13:15 - 40 minutes - 44.9 MB

We discuss Carmat's total artificial heart, the technology, approval pathways and commercial potential 00:42 Carmat’s total artificial heart, the history and the technology 08:54 The data so far 18:00 The coming technological advances 20:49 The clinical development process 23:32 The commercial and reimbursement landscape 26:48 What happens with patients? 30:22 Will Carmat need a partner?

41: On vomit boat trials and Elon Musk

July 22, 2019 06:00 - 23 minutes - 29.2 MB

Why would anyone sign up for a vomit boat trial or get thousands of electrodes implanted into their brains? 00:41 The VNDA vomit boat trial 09:14 More on the KPTI approval 11:52 Elon Musk's Neuralink 18:44 Netflix has peaked

40: Interview with Daniel Schneider, CEO of Photocure

July 16, 2019 12:56 - 39 minutes - 43.8 MB

We cover Photocure’s marketed bladder cancer diagnostic product Hexvix/Cysview, its data and potential for growth in the United States and the prospects for future competition. 01:03 – What does Photocure do? 13:49 – How do the US and EU markets differ? 16:28 – The growth potential in the US market? 25:43 – Prospects for competition 32:32 – The recent licensing deal for Cevira

39: Biotech, a magical land of mystery

July 11, 2019 20:00 - 44 minutes - 48 MB

Why did selinexor get approved? What's going on with Roche/Spark? Why did ITCI have crazy results? Also a farewell. 00:37 Michael Becker RIP 02:22 What's up with the $KPTI approval 14:19 Some confusing $ITCI data 23:21 Why is the FTC taking so long to approve the Roche/Spark acquisition? 28:46 How did Jeff Epstein get so rich? It makes no sense

38: Vyleesi, of house Palatin, second of its kind, and mother of scams

July 01, 2019 06:00 - 48 minutes - 51.9 MB

Also ABBV buys a company, and why academia sucks. 00:30 - Vyleesi is the worst drug ever approved 23:27 - Abbvie buys Allergan 32:30 - Twitter censors tesladeaths.com 34:14 - CRISPR babies in Russia? 37:39 - Nat has a theory 40:47 - The cabal restraining innovation in the treatment of Alzheimer's

37: Cymabay's NASH disaster and some financings that burned investors

June 24, 2019 06:00 - 53 minutes - 56.3 MB

Can anyone really beat diet and exercise for NASH? Also, buyer beware. Here is some more detail on what we talk about: 00:39 Cymabay's disastrous NASH data, you're really better off with diet and exercise 17:25 Ampion screws some investors 36:50 Biohaven reminds investors that just because you cancel a conference presentation doesn't mean you are being bought 46:27 Evolution

36: KRAS for cancer and Enbrel for Alzheimer's

June 10, 2019 06:00 - 42 minutes - 47 MB

00:37 KRAS a hit at ASCO 08:59 Enbrel for Alzheimer's? 20:49 You don't need to take 10,000 steps a day 24:58 Satanic messages from Google Translate 27:30 What is up with the ARK model on TSLA? 31:07 Gamestop has a really bad quarter 35:09 FGEN has one of the worst calls ever

35: Interview with Yuval Cohen, CEO of Corbus Pharmaceuticals

May 20, 2019 06:00 - 40 minutes - 25.7 MB

An interview of Yuval Cohen, CEO of Corbus Pharmaceuticals where we discuss the cannabinoid space as well as the Corbus pipeline

34: Getting figged by Ovid and Cytokine

May 13, 2019 06:00 - 39 minutes - 43.5 MB

Another what's wrong with people sort of episode: 01:00 CYTK fails in Phase II but moves forward anyway 06:40 OVID insults analysts 18:42 Figging. Why? 24:05 MNK bribes doctors 28:35 TSLA and Peloton

33: Moleculin be swindlin?

April 29, 2019 06:00 - 38 minutes - 42.9 MB

Also we bid farewell to Briana. 02:05 Was the MBRX pump on purpose? 06:17 TSLA lost 4 board members on Good Friday 12:52 AMRS was in default for a day, also announced on Good Friday 17:00 Macro/financial system stuff 27:22 The IQVIA report on R&D 34:28 The Yang gang is nuts

32: An ode to animal research; ZGNX and Planet of the Apes

April 15, 2019 06:00 - 44 minutes - 48.9 MB

Also the trajectory of GILD and eyes full of bees. 00:43 Refusal to file letter for ZGNX 14:30 Weirdness with AMRS 27:00 Chinese scientists give human intelligence genes to monkeys 34:48 Bees living off of a woman's tears 36:48 GILD has layoffs

31: Biogen blows it big time

March 25, 2019 06:00 - 50 minutes - 53.7 MB

On the Sisyphean struggle that is the amyloid hypothesis. Also, space herpes. 00:28 Biogen blows up 21:00 Should Biogen buy Sage? 33:10 Another nutritional cohort study 42:55 Space herpes (watch out Elon Musk)

30: Gottlieb will always be my sugar loaf

March 18, 2019 06:00 - 47 minutes - 51.5 MB

In which our heroes discuss Scott Gottlieb leaving, the new Theranos movie, and the risks of cutting sugar loaf. 01:02 Scott Gottlieb is leaving the FDA 10:35 The Inventor documentary on Theranos 18:00 College bribery admissions scandal 27:45 Is Esketamine a dud? 36:00 Mechanisms of penile fracture in Western Iran 41:45 A 15 gram infusion of Vitamin C?

29: ONCE in a lifetime, same as it ever was

March 04, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 44.2 MB

In which our heroes discuss Roche's motivations with Spark. Also musings on senate subcommittees and goat wine. 00:43 Spark gets bought 04:40 Senate drug pricing hearing 16:22 The ER is an interesting place 24:13 Karyopharm's panel 29:19 Bionic mice

28: Intercept gives investors a taste of bile

February 25, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 43.8 MB

Another NASH drug disappoints and three biotechs declare bankruptcy: 00:35 Intercept's NASH drug has some questionable data 15:45 Immune Pharma, Aradigm and Pernix declare bankruptcy 24:10 Ambrosia gets a warning from the FDA 35:15 Why would Egalet buy a branded low-dose diclofenac?

27: Did Gilead just prove the null hypothesis?

February 18, 2019 07:00 - 50 minutes - 54 MB

GILD messes up in NASH while OMER cult members buy a bill of goods. 00:55 GILD fails in NASH, badly 11:54 Who is OMER kidding? 17:41 A Harvard geneticist claims to have found a Fountain of Youth supplement 21:21 Brain buzzing headphones for losing weight 30:37 Who would buy supplements from Alex Jones? 41:30 AMZN runs away from New York 43:37 Stock buybacks vs. dividends

26: A shambolic week

February 11, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 45.5 MB

Solid slips and Pain Therapeutics loses it. Also light bulbs for your ears and why Nat hates doctors: 01:00 SLDB not so solid 02:56 PTIE attacks FDA 08:50 VNDA goes PETA 11:56 Nat hates doctors 16:33 Shining a light into ears to treat jet lag 20:56 Keto pills 25:08 GILD writes down part of KITE 28:24 Was AMRS premature? 31:50 Darn anti-vaxxers 35:23 AMPE doesn't have a good FDA meeting 37:18 An Alzheimer's diagnostic?

25: Cancer cure-alls, Alzheimer's vaccines and other nonsense

February 04, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 39.7 MB

Here is what we talk about: 00:30 Baby, it's cold outside 04:15 BIIB Fight Club: they won't talk about interim analyses 06:31 TYME debacle 09:57 A cure for all cancers? 14:08 Selling "young" blood 16:30 An Alzheimer's vaccine company started by a lawyer and a realtor 20:30 How do you protect your child from a measles epidemic? How about a measles vaccine? 24:38 AGEN digital coin offering 25:49 Why did the CEO of NWBO get a performance based milestone? 28:01 The strategic ...

24: NWBO > SGYP

December 17, 2018 07:00 - 43 minutes - 47.1 MB

You can jump out of a plane without a parachute but don’t use tap water with your neti pot: 00:46 A study shows that parachutes do not lower mortality when jumping out of a plane 06:27 Swans belong to the Queen 14:30 NWBO > SGYP 20:30 Lannett is developing intranasal cocaine for pain. Really? 29:42 Mimedx is screwed 32:42 Hemispherx attacks Apple in their investor letter 34:57 Death by neti pot 38:54 Marinus math

23: Other people's money

December 07, 2018 07:00 - 31 minutes - 36.6 MB

What do Stemcentrx and MRNA have in common? Billions of other people's money. 00:33 - Stemcentrx blew it 06:57 - Finding the greater fools to fund Moderna 15:07 - Aphria makes some questionable acquisitions 25:06 - Markets are crashing

22: CRISPR baby one more time

December 03, 2018 07:00 - 31 minutes - 36.2 MB

We discuss our inevitable dystopian Gattaca future and other topics. Here's a table of contents: 00:53 - CRISPR babies 15:40 - Amazon will solve all of our healthcare problems with machine learning 22:48 - Did the Fed just fold?

21: What type of a name is Nantkwest anyway?

November 19, 2018 07:00 - 41 minutes - 45.7 MB

If two drugs are better than one, six must be frickin' amazing. Also, Max and Nat figure out hot to improve NASH data and the tax system. Here's a little table of contents: 00:54 Nantkwest sextuplet cancer therapy 05:00 NWBO's horrible financing 09:15 AMZN and FB make some waves 19:39 Moderna's IPO 22:45 Are Alzheimer's drugs doomed? 25:30 MDGL and NASH 30:57 The Healthcare Cost Institute shows that NP's and PA's are no cheaper than MD's. 36:13 Should drug prices be disclosed i...

20: Interview with Jonathan Tepper, author of The Myth of Capitalism

November 07, 2018 07:00 - 48 minutes - 52.1 MB

An interview with Jonathan Tepper, author of The Myth of Capitalism. We discuss "the Lollapalooza of bad economic incentives" also known as the US healthcare system as well as the rest of the oligopolistic economy. Part I: Healthcare Part II (starts at the 24:00 mark): Everything else, including Google, Apple, Walmart and cable companies

19: SGYP, EXAS and other poop

November 05, 2018 07:00 - 39 minutes - 43.6 MB

How hard is it for companies to think things through? 02:03 SGYP messes things up 11:39 EGLT is finally done 18:54 ICER QALY analysis on ALKS and TTNP opioid addiction drugs 21:52 UNH is paying people to use generic HIV regimens 32:03 Why didn't ALKS just listen to the FDA? 36:25 EXAS revenues are increasing but expenses are increasing more, are they doing this wrong?

18: ESMO, weed and mineral oil

October 29, 2018 06:00 - 37 minutes - 42.5 MB

A lot of good, bad and ugly things happened this week. Here's what we talk about: 01:08 Some great data at ESMO from AZN and LOXO 03:40 The Trump drug pricing plan 08:53 Orphan drug pricing 11:20 Did Amgen reduce Repatha pricing because of AMRN? And what's this mineral oil issue? 18:10 Sam Isaly is suing Stat News? 21:23 Stocks crash, especially weed stocks 27:00 Questionable data from SELB, DVAX and ADAP 33:17 How did Castle Creek raise money off of a failed trial?

17: Is ECYT Novartis' biggest mistake since Michael Cohen?

October 22, 2018 06:00 - 24 minutes - 29.8 MB

Why do large pharma have a propensity to flush money down the toilet? 01:23 HHS wants drug companies to disclose drug prices in ads 04:38 ECYT bought by Novartis 07:44 Elizabeth Warren's genetic test 08:47 Harvard's discrimination of Asians 13:44 Uber uber alles 22:20 IMUC delisted, finally

16: Ruminations on the OMER cult, MNLO, TRVN and markets

October 15, 2018 06:00 - 36 minutes - 41.3 MB

What's wrong with people? Especially OMER cult members and the managements of MNLO and TRVN. 00:37 OMER cult members 8:24 How does MNLO have a drug do worse than placebo twice? 11:59 TRVN misleads on FDA guidance 22:27 Markets, tech and VC's

15: Oh my OMER

October 09, 2018 06:00 - 46 minutes - 49.9 MB

This week diabetes patients win and Omeros shareholders lose.

14: TGTX and other fishy things

October 01, 2018 06:00 - 39 minutes - 43.9 MB

A great week for hearts. Not so great week for TGTX shareholders. 00:31 REDUCE-IT worked! 04:43 Kvetching about the nudnik's at HealthNewsReview.org 09:13 Mitraclip had some great data 13:37 The TGTX fiasco 25:58 Anti-vaxxer rant (or I guess an anti-anti-vaxxer rant) 31:15 Geron blew up 34:06 Spinal cord stimulation has some good data 37:28 Mitochondrial gene editing

13: Disclosures and Lies

September 24, 2018 06:00 - 35 minutes - 40.5 MB

Why does a scientist who forgets to file some paperwork lose his job when a pharma CEO that lies to investors get to keep his? Here's an index: 00:38 Jose Beselga is unfairly targetted 11:04 Pat Mahaffy gets off easy at Clovis for misleading investors 15:02 Sorrento Therapeutics does worst debt deal ever 22:45 Aspirin may not be good for you if you are healthy 28:20 Private insurance has a survival benefit in follicular lymphoma

12: Frost gets iced

September 17, 2018 06:00 - 42 minutes - 46.6 MB

Gilead and Amgen had great data, Vital, not so much and we also talk about Phil Frost finally getting charged by the SEC. Here's an index: 00:47 - AMG-420 data from Amgen in multiple myeloma 04:29 - Gilead/Galapagos RA data for filgotinib 10:30 - Phil Frost gets charged by the SEC for stock pump and dumps 16:28 - Vital Therapies fails again 22:57 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 26:00 - The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine boondoggle 31:36 - Moderna's $10 billion ...

11: Sangamania

September 10, 2018 06:00 - 47 minutes - 51.4 MB

Think less but see it grow. Also, why you shouldn't be too hard on Mannkind and eat more cheese. Here is an index: 01:40 Sangamo data in Hunter Syndrome 11:15 The Mannkind-United Therapeutics deal 14:54 Northwest Bio investors make no sense 16:44 Goop fined for making misleading claims 23:55 Cheese is good for you 30:30 Theranos dissolving 36:30 Should "political derangement syndrome" be in the DSM? 43:10 Should p<0.005 be the threshold for statistical significance?

10: Mushrooms, tequila and hydrogen water

September 03, 2018 06:00 - 27 minutes - 33.2 MB

Is any amount of alcohol bad for you? Can magic mushrooms be good for you? What is hydrogen water? 00:55 - We discuss the Lancet article which concluded that no level of alcohol is good for you 05:00 - Peter Thiel, Compass Pathways and the potential for psychedelics in the treatment of psychiatric disorders 08:22 - Alzheon is back with a prodrug version of a drug that failed miserably in the past 12:18 - Urovant licensed a gene therapy for over active bladder? Really? 14:05 - Hydroge...

9: Can keto kill you?

August 27, 2018 06:00 - 25 minutes - 31.3 MB

Are low carb diets bad for you? Also, did CRISPR just bring us closer to Gattaca? 00:47 - Is there anything to the recent study that concluded that low carb diets may shorten your life? 08:00 - Reducing prostate cancer risk through increasing EPM rates 10:45 - The Pfizer-Exact Sciences co-promotion deal 14:45 - Great news for diabetics from Novo Nordisk which released some great semaglutide data 18:40 - We discuss a CRISPR breakthrough

8: To bleach or not to bleach

August 20, 2018 06:00 - 30 minutes - 35.7 MB

Should you trust a company that tells you to go home and bleach your skin and eyeballs? Max and Nat have the answer (its no). 0:55 - Antiva Biosciences is developing a drug to treat HPV-related diseases and is complaining men don't "get" the need. Are they right? 6:08 - Realm (RLM) and their bleach-like drug for excema 12:00 - The comedy that is Northwest Bio (NWBO) 18:33 - Beigene's (BGNE) recent listing in Hong Kong and the structure of the Chinese healthcare system

7: Ovid's metamorphosis into a dud

August 13, 2018 06:00 - 47 minutes - 51 MB

Do you think this 40 year old GABA drug has a shot at a rare disease? A lesson in why you can't teach and old drug new tricks. 0:39 Ovid Phase II data 8:50 The mechanism of action for Sage's drugs 10:40 The Ampio circus 19:20 Tesla going private? 23:00 A blood pressure drug for type I diabetes? 25:00 Us making fun of intranasal formulations 27:08 Mannkind. Why? 31:35 Overtreatment of Thyroid cancer 37:16 The Samumed unicorn 39:33 Clovis and the SEC

6: Policy and poop

August 06, 2018 06:00 - 32 minutes - 37.2 MB

What do the healthcare system, the ivy league, and these pills have in common? Max and Nat have the answer. 0:30 Single payer, its cost and could it increase inequality? 10:20 Pfizer CEO comments on PBM's and rebates 12:14 SEC enforcement is plummeting 14:39 Poop pills (aka microbiomics) 19:06 Tesla earnings 21:53 Ivy League discrimination against Asians and grade inflation

5: Biogen gets naughty

July 30, 2018 06:00 - 35 minutes - 39.8 MB

Who can you trust when even the biggest biotechs massage the data? Max and Nat, that's who. 00:30 Biogen 10:30 Silly things in the pipeline for Alzheimer's 14:32 Tesla and the futility of attacking short sellers 19:05 GSK, AI and 23 & me 28:12 Gilead management turnover

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